OTTAWA – A “classroom” at Degrassi High served as the setting for Justin Trudeau’s first national advertisements, which aired Wednesday just as the Conservatives were planning another attack on the new Liberal leader — this time using taxpayer dollars.

Documents obtained by the Liberal Party show the Tories are planning to send thousands of taxpayer-funded mail-outs to households across the country reiterating their message that Trudeau is “in over his head.”

The mail-outs, called 10-per-centers, are usually used by MPs to update their constituents on what is happening in the House of Commons. According to the documents, the anti-Trudeau flyers will be mailed out June 1.

The flyers show pictures of a moustachioed Trudeau with a coat thrown over one shoulder, against a backdrop of quotes, cursive script and sparkles similar to those featured in the Conservative TV attack ads released last week.

Another section questions Trudeau’s judgment on such issues as Quebec separatism, tax credits for families and the economy.

According to an accompanying document, the flyers were presented to the Conservative caucus on April 17, and the aim is to “blanket” Conservative ridings across the country with the ads.

The documents say the cost to taxpayers of mailing the flyers to 40,000 households in one riding is estimated at $175, which would work out to $29,050 if all 166 Conservative MPs send the 10-per-centers.

The documents do not say how much it would cost to print the flyers, but the Liberal party estimated the full cost of printing and delivering at more than $220,000.

All of that would come out of the Conservatives’ House of Commons budget — meaning it is paid for by taxpayers.

Conservatives defended the move Wednesday, saying the flyer campaign does not contravene any laws or rules, parliamentary or otherwise.“The rules are quite clear and the materials that we produce and circulate as members of Parliament on the Conservative side do fit within the rules approved by (Parliament’s) all-party Board of Internal Economy,” Government House Leader Peter Van Loan told reporters Wednesday.

Van Loan said questions of political experience and leadership are of significance to voters.

“So it’s entirely appropriate for Canadians to be informed about those contrasting aspects of leadership that they have to deal with.”

Liberal MP Stephane Dion said using parliamentary resources for partisan purposes is not only an abuse of taxpayer dollars, but politicizes Parliament as an institution.

“It’s so disrespectful of taxpayers’ money,” he said.

While the actual dollar amount may seem small, Dion said such mail-outs are supposed to be used to update Canadians about the work being done on their behalf in Parliament.

He said the Liberal Party is paying for Trudeau’s own new ads, and Conservatives should be doing the same instead of making taxpayers foot the bill.

“We are spending party money to deliver a positive message to Canadians,” Dion added, “when they are using your taxpayer money to send another negative, nasty message. And it shows a lot the difference between the two approaches for Canadians.”

Earlier in the day, Liberals unveiled their own Youtube ads in an effort to change the channel on Conservative attacks questioning Trudeau’s experience and judgment.

“Canadians deserve better,” Trudeau says in the English version of the Liberal ad, as he turns off a television featuring one of the Conservative ads.

Sitting on a teacher’s desk with a Canadian flag to one side and math calculations on a blackboard behind him, Trudeau goes on to highlight his teaching experience and his work to become an MP and Liberal leader.

The ads were shot last Thursday night at the sound stage for the Degrassi High television series, during a brief stop by Trudeau in Toronto, according to one source.

It’s unclear how Trudeau’s appearance on the set of the iconic Canadian drama was arranged, though several of the Liberal leader’s advisers are from the city.

Liberals said the ads will begin appearing on national television later this week; details were not available.

The Conservative attack ads featuring Trudeau have generally aired during sporting events, such as hockey games.

Trudeau told reporters Wednesday that whether his own advertisements will work “remains to be seen.”

“The message that I’m sharing in those ads is a message that is built on the conversations I’ve had with Canadians right across the country,” he said. “Positive, hopeful, about working hard together, and about expecting better from ourselves, from our neighbours, but mostly from our elected officials.”

Trudeau will get his first chance to see whether his message is resonating with more than just Liberals as he flies to Labrador to campaign in advance of a byelection there scheduled for May 13.

The byelection was called after Conservative minister Peter Penashue resigned in March over spending irregularities during the 2011 federal election, in which he defeated Liberal incumbent Todd Russell by just 79 votes.

Trudeau will spend the next several days stumping around the riding on behalf of Liberal candidate Yvonne Jones, who is engaged in a fierce battle with Penashue for the seat.

If Liberals are able to take the seat, it will be seen as a good omen not only for the third-place party, but also for Trudeau personally as the clock ticks towards the 2015 federal election.

If Penashue can hold on, however, it could raise serious doubts about whether non-Liberals are prepared to buy into the hype that has surrounded Trudeau since he first launched his Liberal leadership campaign last October.